Affiliate Marketing, otherwise known as referral marketing, performance marketing, CPA marketing, distribution marketing or even direct advertising marketing isn’t a new phenomena. It’s simply the act of an affiliate promoting a brands products via a tracking link or a discount code and being paid on a commission basis for any sales that come from those tracking methods.

The most popular forms of affiliate marketers are bloggers, media publishers, video creators, discount code websites and product reviewers, but as more brands are working with smaller, more engaged audiences – the rise of the micro influencer is truly upon us.

A micro influencer, in the less traditional sense, can be anyone from a yoga teacher who guides 10 yoga students on a daily basis through to someone who’s in a running club and can recommend product to their peers. As long as you speak with authority and can provide either a link or a discount code assigned to yourself, you can earn commission. 

Not everyone makes a living from affiliate marketing, but there are some sure fire ways to get yourself a foot up the ladder. First of all is learning the basics.